If you’re chronically stressed and constantly exhausted, you might have adrenal fatigue. This condition affects you when your body’s hormone production can’t keep up with the demand to help you manage stress.
At Coral Gables Executive Physicians in Coral Gables, Florida, double board-certified internal medicine and primary care physician Robert H. Thomas, MD, FACP, and the rest of our team have the expertise to diagnose your adrenal fatigue and get you the help you need.
As stress hormone profile specialists, we can determine if your adrenal glands are working properly. If they aren’t, we can recommend lifestyle changes and provide treatment.
Adrenal fatigue explained
Your adrenal glands, which sit atop your kidneys, produce a wide range of hormones. When you have adrenal fatigue, your adrenal glands can under- or over-produce hormones. You’re most susceptible to adrenal fatigue if you live with physical, mental, or emotional long-term stress.
Here’s an example of how it works: When you’re under intense pressure of any kind, your body produces a hormone called cortisol. Adrenal fatigue can set in when your body needs more of this hormone but doesn’t have the ability to produce it. That’s when your symptoms can begin to appear.
Symptoms of adrenal fatigue
You might have adrenal fatigue if you show any of the following signs:
- Difficulty falling asleep
- Difficulty waking up
- Tiredness
- Dizziness
- Depression
- Nervousness
- Weight loss
- Dehydration
- Fibromyalgia
- Hyperpigmentation
- Cravings for sugar and salt
- A need for caffeine all day
- Vomiting
- Diarrhea
When you meet with us at Coral Gables Executive Physicians, Dr. Thomas and our team diagnose your adrenal fatigue with various blood tests or saliva tests. We look at your hormone precursors to check for normal activity. If we see that they’re overstimulated, we can treat your condition.
Treatment for your adrenal fatigue
We recommend changing your lifestyle as one way to treat your adrenal fatigue. Many of your symptoms can dissipate or even disappear when you practice healthy habits, which might include:
- Improve your diet
- Limit your alcohol intake
- Don’t smoke
- Exercise
- Meditate
- Decrease your sugar intake
- Decrease your caffeine intake
- Supplement your diet with vitamins and minerals
For medical treatments, we provide adrenal gland relaxers to bring your adrenal glands within a normal range. Our prescribed medications can stop the overproduction of hormones, or we can provide hormone replacement treatments if needed. In some cases, you may need to have tumors removed from your adrenal gland, which Dr. Thomas can do surgically.
If you’re looking for relief from symptoms of adrenal fatigue, call or book an appointment online today with Dr. Thomas.
